Tory welfare cuts will impoverish 200,000 children next year and more than 600,00 in 2020

Been catching up on stuff I recorded over the last few weeks.
There was a Dispatches programme about benefits. They interviewed people who had been sanctioned for silly reasons.
If you are in a universal credit area, they sanction you if you are not looking for full time work when you are on part time work. One man was sanctioned for only working thirty hours a week on minimum wage, as full time is considered to be thirty seven.
One man had his hours increased from ten to twenty, and told them he could not attend his interview as he was working, so was sanctioned.

The stupidest part of it is that it was admitted that many people who work for the DWP claim benefits - I think they said 50% - because they do not earn enough to live on. They could be sanctioned by someone else working in the same office, as they are not trying hard enough to get better paid work.
You couldn't make it up.

Roseq, you are definitely cleverer than this idiot.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/nov/22/softening-tax-credit-blow-funded-housing-benefit-cuts

How does cutting housing benefit help people who do not have their tax credits cut as much as he was going to?

Jen - it beggars belief, doesn't it!

It's rumoured that Osborne is going to say that all people in receipt of housing benefit will have to pay 10% of it themselves. Everyone. Pensioners included.

And for those of working age that would be on top of any bedroom tax they have to pay!

Whether or not he does indeed do this remains to be seen, but the mere thought of it is very worrying indeed.

Do you think he just floats ideas to see what sort of reception they get from the faithful?
Even Tories should be able to see the flaw in that idea.

You could well be right about the floating of ideas, Jen, but I don't have much faith in the "faithful" to point out the flaws. They seem to have overlooked, deliberately or otherwise, one hell of a lot of major flaws so far.

Agreed, MamaCaz, unfortunately. Must have been wishful thinking on my part.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/keep-your-hands-lottery-fund-6877494

If he tries this, I will not be the only one not playing the lottery any more, I would imagine.
All he has to do is keep corporation tax at 20%, which is already the lowest in the EU, maybe even the world, and keep the top rate of tax as it is.

Why does he think that people want him to take money from the poor, or charities.

Why is Cameron talking about the finance now? He is giving all Osborne's speech.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/23/austerity-robbing-poor-george-osborne

Welcome to Austeria.

beastrabban.wordpress.com/2015/12/05/conservatives-want-primary-schoolchildren-to-be-taught-to-work-not-live-on-benefits/

The latest idea to get people off welfare.
Of course, it will be a while before they see the results.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/iain-duncan-smith-blasted-claiming-6964518

Why is IDS still in charge of the welfare cuts? He cannot even get his facts right.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tories-branded-arrogant-trying-ban-6971278

This is how the Tories are going to try to get round the House of Lords scrutiny on bills they want to push through. Punishment for making Osborne think again.

Just as one thinks they have sunk so low - they go lower

Not only them, Annie.

www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/anger-after-heartless-thieves-steal-10568929

I think this is possibly lower, although Osborne and IDS could do something about the need for food banks.

www.theguardian.com/society/2015/dec/08/bedroom-tax-harming-childrens-learning-amid-stress-and-hunger-experts-claim

Yes definitely lower Jen. Many children are suffering now

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35063040

There are some appalling figures in here. 21% of those who have benfits stopped end up homeless as a result.
How can that be justified?

It can't be justified Jen, perhaps the right wing supporters will try though,

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/government-to-strip-children-whose-parents-die-of-right-to-stay-in-their-council-home-a6767846.html

Another way to punish council house tenants.

www.rt.com/uk/325212-poor-households-rich-spending/

This is on Russia Today. I find it quite appalling. It does not make us sound like a first world country.

A petition to the House of Lords to stop child poverty measurements being changed to suit the government.

www.change.org/p/house-of-lords-insist-the-government-keep-its-target-to-reduce-child-poverty-in-the-uk

Over 40,000 have signed the petition.
Have you?

www.change.org/p/house-of-lords-insist-the-government-keep-its-target-to-reduce-child-poverty-in-the-uk/sponsors/new?source_location=petitions_show_components_action_panel_wrapper

speye.wordpress.com/2015/12/11/conservatives-to-close-all-dv-refuges/

This is very scary - another law of unintended consequences? Or is it?

www.theguardian.com/society/2015/dec/10/food-bank-opens-young-people-benefit-sanctions-liverpool

A food bank specially for 16 to 25 year olds who have been hit by benefit cuts, and feel awkward going to normal food banks.
Nobody can deny that this is as a result of this government's cutbacks, although I am sure some will try.

Not on here they won't!!!!!!! wink

That age group has been hit so hard